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WARPs UP's LANGYI and MINGJUN talk about their new release, 'Power_信 (xin)', missing fans, and gearing up for 2022: "Don't be afraid of difficulties and never give up."

ESTIMATED 
WARPs UP's LANGYI and MINGJUN talk about their new release, 'Power_信 (xin)', missing fans, and gearing up for 2022: "Don't be afraid of difficulties and never give up."

Get ready to be energized and motivated for 2022 with WARPs UP. 

After making a powerful debut with 'Hali Gali', the Japanese-Chinese group went on to release 'Cloud 9', 'One Hundred degrees', and 'SUPERNOVA', which topped the weekly J-pop chart on China’s major streaming service NetEase Cloud Music. They also released their first ballad, 'Pleasure' for the opening theme song of the popular TV anime series Fruits Basket.

Members RIKIMARU and SANTA also competed in the Chinese reality show Produce Camp 2021, where both finished in the top 3 contestants, becoming a part of the multinational boy group INTO1.

BANDWAGON TV

This time, WARPs UP's MINGJUN and LANGYI are joining forces for their new dance single, 'Power_信 (xin)', with their signature dance tracks and impressive performance—a change from the ballads fans have recently been gifted with. 

Bandwagon caught up with LANGYI and MINGJUN to talk about their new release, amusing behind-the-scenes stories, and their hopes to interact more with fans in the coming year. 

Congratulations on the comeback! Could you tell us more about what the single ‘Power_信 (xin)’ is about?

LANGYI: Thank you! The title song this time is a very powerful dance track that has a very strong and memorable intro part and melody that once people listen to, will remember it immediately, and fall in love with within one second. Yet, it's a very repeatable song that you can listen to over and over again and we're very excited to do this dance track. 

The song is also in three languages. Previously, you released the multilingual single ‘One Hundred degrees’, which members worked on together with producers. Could you share more about the production process for your new song? 

LANGYI: This time, during the song selection process, our producers and managers were able to send us a lot of demos to listen to. Although we listened to a lot of songs, we still feel that 'Power_信 (xin)' is a song that really fits us and a song that we really liked.

We were able to try out some of the songs in the studios, and out of all the excellent demos, we realized that 'Power_信 (xin)' really suited us, our voices, and our sound. We also thought it was a very nice dance track to express the strong feeling we have towards the future—that's why we picked the song and we're really grateful to have had the opportunity to join the song selection process. 

‘Power_信 (xin)’ is a strong dance track with many hard hits, and since the group is known for their dance breaks, could you tell us more about the choreography for this release and how it was formed? 

MINGJUN: For the choreography, we invited a world-famous choreographer YUMERI, who has also been our dance teacher. This time, the feeling is strong and also as the title says, it's about power so it has a powerful dance.

We also invited the younger generation, WARPs ROOTS, so that point also highlights the sense of power with a large group of people in the background with more back dancers. The choreography by YUMERI is also very strong so that is what I think is the highlight of the song. 

The promotion teasers give a strong image — what can fans expect for the music video?

LANGYI: It's a very well done music video and it's very very cool and eye-catching. As the teaser has suggested, it is also a very powerful music video and this time, we were able to do some CG and action points for the video — so you can look forward to that.

It sounds like a big production! What were some behind-the-scenes stories you can share with fans on the preparation process? 

MINGJUN: For making the teaser, we were able to do some [acting] lines in both Japanese and Chinese. The lines were very eye-catching and it's very movie-like so, at that point, we both agreed to not over-act when we got in.

When it came out, it was like a movie, and it's almost like anime characters talking. It was one of the new things we tried out so we've been recording lines and things we've never done before —that's one of the things I really remember and stuck to my mind. 

LANGYI: it was really embarrassing!

MINGJUN: The members of WARPs ROOTS we invited to join us this time as back dancers, and there's also another episode after practice when YUMERI also suggested that we try out dance tricks and skills. Some of them had learned breaking before and some of them had their own little skills — before we didn't know much so we were just standing there looking at them. The members of WARPs ROOTS are really really young, so they were very excited, and it was almost like high school so that was really fun and also a little background story for us! 

LANGYI: When we were shooting the music video, Roots were there sitting before the screen, and every time we did something — like the angle, the lip-syncing — when we finished it and walked down, they were all like 'wow!' and would clap for us. It was a very happy [experience] for me but also embarrassing! They want to learn from us and it's a really good thing, but for me its like, it's so embarrassing! I want to get something to cover myself but it's fun, and it's really funny. 

How do you feel about your first project with your junior group — other than being amazed by their energy, and embarrassed by their admiration?

LANGYI: They are young, and every time we take lessons together, or they're shooting the music video or having dance practice, they are full of power —  no matter [if it's] three hours or four hours, they are still powerful.

MINGJUN: Like compared with them, we are like old men!

LANGYI: After I dance two times, I'm like [out of breath], I have no more 幼 (youth/energy). That's enough for me but we were so influenced by them because they remind me of us when we were younger.

You have had an eventful year last year, with ‘SUPERNOVA’, topping the weekly J-pop chart on China’s major streaming service NetEase Cloud Music, writing the opening Theme song ‘Pleasure’ for the popular TV anime series ‘Fruits Basket’, and members Rikimaru and SANTA joining INTO1. What are your hopes for this comeback and this year? 

LANGYI: 'Power_信 (xin)' is also a song that represented our thoughts and our strong desire to continue being WARPs UP continually. For this coming year, we would also like to continue making new songs and new tracks, and we were also thinking about making a live concert with our junior group, WARPs ROOTS, which everyone can look forward to!

We're in the progress of practicing for other things as well and we also want to increase our communication with fans. With the global situation, it's hard to see overseas fans but we would like to try to do that and look for new ways to communicate with fans too. 

You both have also released quite a number of ballad covers, do you have any plans to release softer songs as well? 

MINGJUN: We have released a ballad cover of 'Pleasure' this year, and we have plans to release softer songs or ballad songs—maybe [a] few more a year later but that's the plan, I don't know [yet].

Is there anything you would like fans to take away from your upcoming release? 

MINGJUN: 'Power_信 (xin)', has two parts: 'power' which means power and 'shin' is strength. For me, strength is what power is—it is something that I want not only myself but my fans to chase as well. I want to say: don't be afraid of difficulties and never give up, and be young and chase your dreams; do what you want and keep on going! 

LANGYI: As some of the lyrics in the song, every single one of us is ourselves, there's no one that can replace us. I hope fans can get power from this song to be themselves and believe in themselves, to chase their dreams, and be powerful! One day in the future they can always look back at the past and be thankful for what they were doing that day and don't ever regret anything!

Watch the music video of 'Power_信 (xin)' here: 

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